Northern Ireland Office

Sovereignty: Northern Ireland

lord caine: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote to the people of Northern Ireland the benefits of Northern Ireland forming part of the UK.

lord caine: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether promoting the benefits to Northern Ireland of being part of the UK is one of the core functions of the Northern Ireland Office.

lord caine: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to strengthen Northern Ireland's place within the UK.

lord duncan of springbank: This Government has made clear on many occasions that we will never be neutral in expressing our support for the Union. Our steadfast belief is that Northern Ireland’s future is best served within a stronger United Kingdom. The Government and this Department is fully committed to the constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom. Our union is strongest when each of its constituent parts is strong and working together. We remain focussed on ensuring the interests of each nation are fully represented within our union, strengthening the links between our economies and continuing to deliver strong and sustainable devolution.

Sovereignty: Northern Ireland

lord caine: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic benefits to Northern Ireland of being a part of the UK.

lord duncan of springbank: The UK Government believes strongly in upholding the constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom - our four nations are safer, stronger and more prosperous together. Northern Ireland benefits from being part of the world’s sixth largest economy. The UK’s integrated internal market means there are no barriers to doing business for companies and people trading across the nations within the UK – creating jobs and prosperity across the country. Northern Ireland also benefits from the highest public spending per head (£11,190) in the UK - around 20% (£1,883) higher than the UK spend per head (£9,159). Moreover, over half (53%) of all external sales from Northern Ireland are to the rest of the UK, and half of external visitors to Northern Ireland are from the rest of the UK, with a total of 1.4million visitors in 2018.